Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young release their best record ever | New recordings

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, ‘CSNY 1974’ (Rhino)
On July 9, 1974, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young opened a 24-city tour at the Seattle Center Coliseum that featured some of their finest live moments. This long-in-the-works “CSNY 1974” box set collects 40 tracks from that four-decades-old tour. Tapes from 10 different cities were sourced, and though Seattle isn’t one of those, these were roughly the sounds heard that night.

CSNY were one of the first supergroups, combining four strong front men from other bands who made beautiful harmony together. The 1974 tour brought Neil Young back into the fold, and some of the best tracks here, including “On the Beach” and “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” spotlight Young’s solo material.

With so much talent on stage, even Young’s searing live take on “Ohio” becomes just one highlight of many here. The interplay between the guitars of Young, Stephen Stills, and Dave Crosby could serve as a primer on what makes a band work in concert, as every note adds to the greater good. This lovingly curated box set, available in multiple formats, is now the single best representation of CSNY on record, an essential document of seventies rock.Other new releases
Old Crow Medicine Show, “Remedy” (ATO)
Ryan Adams, “Gimme Something Good,” 7-inch vinyl, (Blue Note)
Various artists, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch: Original Broadway Cast Recording” (Atlantic)

About us

Seattle Times music coordinator Paul de Barros has written about jazz and pop music for the paper since 1982 and is the author of “Jackson Street After Hours: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle.” On Twitter @pdebarros.

Andrew Matson is a freelance writer and close follower of the Seattle pop music scene – especially the genres of rap, rock and electronic. On Twitter @andrewmatson.

Seattle native Gene Stout has been writing about popular music for more than two decades and has interviewed and profiled many of Seattle’s best-known musicians. On Twitter @popmusiccritic.

Charles R. Cross is a Seattle-based writer who has authored eight books, including the bestselling biography of Kurt Cobain, "Heavier Than Heaven." On Twitter @Charlesrcross.

Charlie Zaillian served as music director of Olympia’s influential KAOS-FM, has a particular affection for punk rock and has freelanced for The Seattle Times since 2011. On Twitter @czaillian

Owen R. Smith is a freelance journalist and music writer, country music aficionado, erstwhile sportswriter and one-time novelist. On Twitter @inanedetails.

Gillian G. Gaar has written extensively about music and popular culture and is the author of several books. On Twitter @GillianGaar.

Mike Ramos is a Seattle native and freelance writer who has followed rap music since the early '90s and can sometimes be heard DJing on KEXP FM. On Twitter: @RAM0S206.

Andrew Gospe is a freelance writer and electronic musician who's called Seattle home since 2009. On Twitter: @gospea.